From the book
A Chymical Dictionary
Gerhard Dorn and John French · Diotimos Editions · 2026
Browse this book’s lexicon →Orientation
At a Glance
- The wordA significant sign understood as pointing toward a future event.
- In the bookPyromancy specifies fire as a medium of presaging, while Sortilegium specifies spirits.
- A place to readThe historical definition below, 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 38; facsimile PDF page 366.
Historical definition
Præsagium is a notable sign of something to come.
Meaning
The entry defines a relation in time: a present or observed sign points toward something not yet come. Notable marks its significance, without identifying a particular medium.
Use in the book
Pyromancy specifies fire as a medium of presaging, while Sortilegium specifies spirits. The general sign word can orient readers within those more particular accounts.
Places to read
- PræsagiumRead the complete historical definition and its commentary.
- PyromancyDivination through the signs of fire.
- SortilegiumForetelling mediated by spirits.
- Turba magnaA multitude of stars and the presage associated with them.
In this edition
The definition records the historical notion of a presage. A sign described as such within a work remains the author’s interpretation of its relation to an event.
Source note
Historical source. 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 38; facsimile PDF page 366 — Facsimile